Ann Marie Sweeney

SWEENEY, Ann M. Age 88, of Columbia, MD and Peachtree City, GA, passed away, on August 17, 2024. She was born and grew up in Lynn, MA, and graduated from Lynn Classical H.S. After a six-week tour of Europe, she went to Lynn Hospital Nursing School. While still a teenager, her career as surgical nurse was cut short when she fainted during the first surgery. She moved on to visiting nursing (making house calls), during a strange time when, every day, for several years, Boston was apparently bitter cold and snowy.

Ann met Bob, her husband of nearly 50 years, when they were fixed-up by friends on a blind date. Two weeks later, while on a trip to Asia, she bought a “I know he’s going to ask me” wedding dress. She was right. They married, and lived on the other side of Fenway Park’s, “Green Montsa”, and she paid the bills until Bob finished college, then they moved to Maryland where his job took them.

Out with nursing, in with three kids. The next dozen years were a blur of Cub Scout Den Leader, Soccer Mom, recipient of frequent summons’ to parent/teacher conferences (Sorry, Mom!), until she came up for air and started doing home visit physicals for prospective life insurance clients, part-time, in the evenings. As the kids got older, she took advantage of the increased free time and went to Coppin State for a teaching degree. She continued on to John’s Hopkins for two Masters degrees in Early Childhood Development. Graduated Suma Cum Laude with all three degrees. Her sole “B” was in Chemistry.

At about the time she started college, she had to admit she could not be just 31 years old, and certainly not for 5 consecutive years.

Once armed with knowledge of everything related to developmental delays in children (ages birth to two years old) she designed her own job as a special-ed teacher in Howard County, MD; thus, the home visits resumed. She went to the kids’ homes, taught the kids, and taught the kids’ parents how to teach the kids. She loved it. She kept working after Bob retired, but she eventually retired after twenty years of teaching… at the ripe old of age of… 21… the age she said she was for the rest of her years.

Throughout the years there were many constants (besides lying about her age) including: church, travel, a sweet tooth, exercise, and rigatoni every single Sunday (at Bob’s request).

When the kids were growing up, she dragged the family up and down the east coast of North America, seeing historic sites, and visiting family. On the return ride of each trip she would always ask us to “rate the trip between 1 and 10”. After Tony (son) and Anne-Marie (daughter) got jobs with the airlines, she started dragging Bob all over Europe. If Bob wasn’t interested, she would go solo. You may have been subjected to her boast about visiting 20 countries during that time.

Ann was a VERY proud Full Blooded Italian (FBI). As such, her first question to anyone entering the house was, “What can I get you to eat or drink?”

One of her favorite activities was going to “the club” (gym). Like a mail carrier, she went in all weather conditions, for 40+ years. After she developed Alzheimer’s disease, and had moved into a Senior community in GA, where she was the standout “chair volleyball” player and undisputed cornhole champion.

The workouts gave her an excuse to eat “junk”. When she was asked to choose between two different deserts she would almost always say, “both”. Ice cream with nuts thrown on top, was her fave, but she would frequently visit the stashes of candy which she spread around the kitchen.

Her favorite drink was wine. The rule was supposed to be one sip of water for one sip of wine, but it ended up being one glass of wine per a quarter sip of water.

Another thing she loved was reading magazines about movie stars and royalty. The National Enquirer gave her pleasure as far back as her kids can remember.

She never missed attending Mass on Sundays and Holy days. Prayer was part of her daily and nightly routine. Visting churches was incorporated into many trips, and she took trips to visit holy sites.

Ann did many good things, but she was most adored for who she was. She had a loving heart and a humorous disposition that would lighten the even darkest mood in us. ALWAYS “glass half full”. She saw the good in everyone. This made her innocent to the point where she was shocked when she heard of the negative things that people do to one another, which many of us consider normal. She remained upbeat to her dying day.

Among the many family members who will miss Anna/Ann/Ma/Noni (her grandsons’ name for her), son, Tony Sweeney and his wife, Ria of Atlanta, GA; daughter, Anne-Marie Gisriel and her husband, Ken of Columbia, MD; son, Billy Sweeney and his wife, Emi of Hawaii; grandsons, Kyle and Justin Gisriel, and Rocco and Enzo Sweeney, brother, Stan "Junie" Rizzo and his wife, Teddi of FL, and her seven nieces and nephews.

She’ll be missed by her long-time friends, teacher / game night friends, soup party friends, and Senior community friends.

“Anna” was preceded in death by her father, Stanley and mother Saveria (Maffei) Rizzo; brothers, Al "Sonny" Rizzo and his wife, Lois of PA and AZ; Gioacchino "Jack" Rizzo and his wife, Deanna of Lynnfield, MA; and sister, Lorraine Rizzo of Roslindale and Cape Cod, MA.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer's & Dementia Research | Alzheimer's Association

A visitation for Ann will be held Tuesday, September 3, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Witzke Funeral Homes Inc., 5555 Twin Knolls Chapel, Columbia, MD 21045. A mass of christian burial will occur Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 10:00 AM at St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church at Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD 21045.